The Phantom of Kingdom Drive
by TheMadHatterWrites
Summary: Axel realized that the reward for breaking rules was greater than the punishment. AkuRoku. Contains angst, horror, and bipolar Roxas.


_Well then, we have our story. Please leave a review or a fav/follow to give me feedback. Feedback equals cookies :3_

_**Warning: The following is rated 'M' for several reasons. Gore, violence, swearing, possible future lemon, bipolar Roxas, and psychotic/obsessive ghosts. Do not read if the aforementioned reasons bother you. Chapter One does not really have these, but there will be some in future chapters.**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts. If I did, there would be AkuRoku and Kairi would have died. I only own this plot :3**_

_Enjoy~!_

* * *

.:The First Encounter:.

An eight year old had been given a set of rules when he and his family moved to 526 Kingdom Drive**(1).**

He was never to go out without one of his parents' permission, he was never to pull pranks on his younger brother-or anyone, for that matter, he was never to steal from someone else, and, most importantly, he was never to trespass, or even tread by it if he could help it, the house of 522**(1.5)**, which was a few houses down.

His parents really should have thought about his main principles, which were to eat sea-salt ice cream and breaking rules. Rules, he said, were boring and would be more fun if broken. Not even a day later, the young boy was sneaking over the wall surrounding the forbidden house, taking in its haunted appearance.

Unlike the other houses on its street, 522 Kingdom Drive was just a simple two story house that was styled like a farmhouse, wooden planks and front porch included. It also looked as if it hadn't been painted in years and the grass was still dead. The lot around it was the only thing similar to other homes, it being only slightly larger. Cracks ran along the now black roof tiles and some parts of the balcony seemed to be chipped or even ripped off. Windows were brown from caked dirt and dust, stairs supported growing moss. The color of the paint, due to age, was no longer its original color, but instead a pasty yellow that was slowly turning brown. The moon's light streaked down the side of the house, making it only look more daunting.

Rumors surrounded this house and were as plentiful as the number of leaves in a large and healthy tree. They ranged from a cannibal in wait to a revenge-seeking ghost; unfortunately, no one could ever go into the house to prove their theory/rumor right or another person's rumor wrong. If one walked through the doors of the aged home, they would never walk out again. Their items would appear three days later in, depending if they were actual residents or not, their homes. If it were a tourist, their items would appear six days later in their hotel room or their place of temporary stay. The doors to another world stayed locked, though, and the house was rarely entered.

But the young redhead wasn't thinking of that. Hell, he didn't even know of the rumors. All he was interested in doing was curing his boredom and satisfying his urge to explore. The forbidden house was neither intimidating nor a murder's hideout to him. If anything, it was like a new ice cream flavor that had yet to be tasted.

He strolled to the front porch, taking in every sight, smell, and sound that he could. He never had been in a forbidden house before. Unfortunately, he was about to change that. He stepped lightly onto the front porch, not wanting to be caught by anyone walking by, and tiptoed to the front door. He turned the doorknob slowly, opening it just as a strong breeze brushed the house.

The green eyed boy carefully and quietly shut the door behind him, causing him to be stranded in darkness. He pulled out a flashlight from his jean pocket, flicked it on, and directed it to in front of him, revealing a room with furniture covered in white sheets. Dust floated around the room, only visible due to the mass amount of it and the light.

The young redhead explored the bottom floor, careful not to break anything. He didn't want it to seem like someone had been inside. If it looked as if it should be, then there would be less chances of him being found out about visiting the forbidden house. The rooms on the bottom floor, he had yet to explore the second, were the kitchen, a living room of some sort, a locked door-he had tried to open it but had failed-and a room that he was currently exploring. They mostly contained covered furniture and the occasional light fixture or tool that wasn't covered.

The young boy faltered when his footsteps sounded louder for a moment, aiming the light towards his feet and looking at the floor. A flat cellar door was directly underneath him, a shade darker than the rest of the floor. Curiosity prickled his spine as he found he could not open it.

"The thing's jammed and locked, Red." The boy froze for a moment, hearing an annoyed voice sound from all around the room. He turned to his right and stared into the darkness for a moment before moving his flashlight in the same direction. He felt his heart stop at the sight of a teenage boy that had to be only a foot above his own height. The male's hair was a lemon like color, but it didn't make the young boy's face scrunch up from a sour taste. Although his face was expressionless, his cerulean eyes were soft and filled with amusement.

"The name's Axel, not Red!" The boy known as Axel interjected, tone indignant. "Commit it to memory!" A ghost of a smile crawled onto the other's face, making Axel grow a smile of his own.

"Well, _Axel_, I'm kind of curious as to why you're here." A look of confusion crossed the blonde's face, successfully making Axel start to snicker. He had such a hopeless look on his face that shouldn't mix with confusion. It's a funny mix otherwise.

"To explore, duh." Axel stuck out his tongue playfully, making the older boy quirk an eyebrow in amusement.

"What about your parents?" He sighed, after a moment, pulling a serious expression onto his face. The other boy found his expressions funny, so his seriousness was never registered.

"Well, they're sitting at home, probably wishing they hadn't even talked about this house." Axel grinned sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. The redhead didn't notice the blonde stiffen, but he saw the strange look on his face.

"You okay…? Come to think of it, you never gave me your name." The older boy shrugged, running a hand through his golden locks.

"You never asked. My name is Roxas." He paused, turning around to face a doorway. "You ought to get home before you disappear like everyone else." Of course, the subtle threat went completely over Axel's head. The redhead was more focused on filing away the blonde's name and the fact that Roxas didn't answer his question.

"But we're having too much fun~!" Axel whined. "You trying to kick me out, Roxy?" The other male went completely rigid, only it was not missed by the redhead. Tension had filled the dusty home, and it started to make the young boy feel uncomfortable. Suddenly he could hear a ringing in his ears and had the faint urge to run away.

"Don't call me that." Roxas had turned to him, his normally bright eyes hard and cold. "You're not allowed to." Axel was more surprised someone _was _allowed to call him that than anything.

"Well who is?" He asked, curiosity prevailing over any sense of caution. Axel watched as the older boy's cerulean eyes glazed over and as his face grew a maniacal smile. The young boy gasped and doubled over in agony as a stabbing sort of pain began in his temple. The ringing in his ears also grew, but he was more focused on the pain and Roxas.

"Mother is, of course!" He remarked, his smile being the last thing the young boy saw before crumbling to the floor and losing consciousness.

* * *

Roxas was never one for visitors.

They always rampaged through his Mother's house, either breaking things or defiling it with alcohol and drugs. They always tested his temper, and they always died, just like Mother would have wanted.

The blonde had been sitting at his brother's bedside, a soft smile on his expression, when he had sensed a visitor coming onto the lot. "Ah…Sora, we have such noisy neighbors, don't we? How do you think I should torture them?" He looked at the bed with a body-like lump underneath the filthy sheets as if expecting an answer. After a few moments, he sighed, a sad smile replacing his earlier one. "Oh yeah…You're sleeping, huh? Well I'll kill him before he wakes you up, so sleep well." He stood from the chair, taking in their room. It was probably the only one that had furniture uncovered by sheets, but it had few items anyway. It had just two beds and a chair.

He sank through the floor, locking their bedroom door just in case the visitor decided to explore upstairs, and made himself transparent. He floated outside, immediately drawn to the little kid. '_How cute,_' he thought wryly. '_I'll have even more of a mess to clean up and relocate_.'

The kid was indeed something that would have grown to be a good looking man, had he not trespassed. His emerald eyes shined with such innocence and curiosity that it made Roxas want to laugh. His spiky haircut and color only added to the urge. Roxas faltered as he saw how careful the kid was, subconsciously smiling at his thoughtfulness. When the kid closed the door-slowly, and with caution-Roxas was not affected by the surrounding darkness, and he could see the redhead clearly. The kid was always careful as he walked through the bottom floor house, somewhat quiet as well. He seemed to only want to explore, something that the male both admired and appreciated.

'_Well…he certainly seems different._' He mentally mused, observing the younger boy. Of course, when the boy discovered the cellar door, Roxas immediately made it locked and jammed. With other visitors he wouldn't have minded, seeing as how they deserved the insanity the cellar brought. They deserved the fear the cellar brought. They deserved to see what they would become. But Roxas, at this point, had become interested and a bit attached to the redhead, and thus intervened.

Since he didn't fuck with Mother's home, Roxas wouldn't fuck with him. Since he was young, Mother wanted him to leave unscathed. Roxas agreed wholeheartedly.

"The thing's jammed and locked, Red." He called out, making himself visible. Being a ghost was useful, he admitted. He blinked once as the kid's flashlight went to him, and marveled at how the kid was neither afraid nor even ashamed. He actually looked like he had just discovered a treasure chest.

He then puffed out his cheeks and corrected fiercely, "The name's Axel, not Red! Commit it to memory!" A ghost of a smile-ironic, huh?-crawled onto Roxas's face, amusement entering his eyes. _'Well isn't he a fiery one. And his name…his name suits him. A weird name for a strange kid.'_

"Well, _Axel_, I'm curious as to why you're here." Roxas mused, crossing his arms over his chest. And he really was. Confusion marred his expression as he thought of how the young boy's parents could have let him go to this house. Rumors swirled around Mother's precious home, or so the visitors often said, either to each other or to reassure themselves.

The shorter redhead stuck out his tongue, making Roxas feel amused at his antics. "To explore, duh." He was so similar to Sora that it made him mentally laugh. And then depressed. His smile died, but he plowed on. "What about your parents?" Roxas sighed, driving the image of Mother and his father from his mind.

"Well, they're sitting at home, probably wishing they hadn't even talked about this house." He didn't know whether to be happy about Axel choosing to disobey his parent's wishes or to be angry about their obvious fear of Mother's home.

"You okay…?" _No._ Roxas immediately thought, feeling himself begin to unravel. Suddenly, he was aware of the irritation that another's presence brought, how the redhead was standing and speaking in Mother's house. _Hang on a second…I promised myself and Mother that I wouldn't kill this kid. _"Come to think of it, you never gave me your name."

Roxas shrugged, running his hand through his hair in an effort to calm himself. "You never asked. My name is Roxas." He turned to the doorway that led to the stairs. "You ought to get home before you disappear like everyone else."

The blonde suppressed a laugh and an eye twitch as Axel completely disregarded his warning. He really was like Sora, huh? Another reason not to kill him. "But we're having too much fun~!" The redhead whined, forcing Roxas to stifle his snicker. _'He certainly acts his age.'_ Roxas mentally mused. "You trying to kick me out, Roxy?"

The older boy went completely rigid, and his face probably would have paled if it had the ability to. _No one can call me that except her. Not even Sora. Only __**she **__can._ Roxas gritted his teeth and swiftly turned to face Axel. "Don't call me that." He growled. "You're not allowed to."

Not allowed to, not allowed to, not allowed to, not allowed to, not allowed to.

"_I love you my little Roxy!"_

His mind completely gone at this point, Roxas barely grasped the question that the young boy had asked. 'Well who is?' Who else? Who else would the blonde allow the permission to call him that? He ignored the young boy's visible pain and smile, which was everything but cheerful. It was sinister, as was his glazed eyes.

"Mother is, of course!" A sense of pleasure swallowed the ghost's remaining pieces as the boy fell to the ground, no doubt unconscious. Roxas floated slightly, his maniacal smile growing into a grin. "You want to explore something?! Explore fucking death!" He sat in the air, bending slightly forward.

"Sora was once like you, you know. Before he went to sleep and never got back up. He sometimes didn't listen to Mother, and that's what got him a permanent nap. Permanent nap, permanent nap!" Roxas remarked brightly, eyeing the blood that started to drip from Axel's nose. Poor kid had fallen to the side to allow his spectator a fine show. "Despite that, I wait every fucking day for him to wake up. But he doesn't want to play. So I play with all you filthy guests. You were supposed to live though…you were…" Roxas blinked a few times, all sense of false pleasure evaporating as his mind raveled back slightly. "Axel…"

The blonde slowly drifted back to the door, seeing his nosebleed cease. Without a word, Roxas picked him up with ease and walked through the door as he and Axel became transparent. He sat on the third step and laid Axel next to him, noting with annoyance that he wouldn't let go of his arm. With a sigh, he gave up trying to free his arm, and watched the young boy with an expressionless face.

"I'll let you grow up Axel. I'll let you grow up. But if you ever call me that ever again, I will fucking kill you, got it?" He intoned, as if expecting the young boy to remember this when he woke up. A small smile crawled onto his face when he started mumbling about fires. "I'll kick your ass if you light up Mother's house, you twit."

The rest of the night, a bipolar Roxas stayed with a sleeping Axel. When the sun began to rear its bright essence onto the lot, the blonde became transparent, causing Axel's arm to drop to his chest. A look of contempt crossed the redhead's face as he tried to grasp something for a moment before giving up and letting his arm to fall limp. The older boy rolled his eyes in amusement, turning to his message engraved into the ground. Just as light began to shine upon the written letters, the ghost disappeared into the forbidden and haunted home.

* * *

Axel awoke to the rising sun's light hitting his face, much to his dismay. He was never one for going blind. Groaning, the young redhead rolled over to his right, only to go down the remaining steps and to hit the floor. Fully awake, the boy spazzed out as he struggled to get up. Once in a sitting position, he looked around frantically, wondering where he was. Just as he comprehended that he was at the forbidden house, he remembered the night's events.

_Locked floor door, Roxas…Roxas flipping out…_

Axel abruptly stood up and ran up the steps and to the door to open it, only it wouldn't budge. He couldn't twist the doorknob far enough to, signaling that it was locked.

_Was…it just a dream?_

He turned to the ground, looking at the floor, a smile spreading across his face.

A stick laid on the ground next to a bunch of rocks that spelled out a certain phrase. 'I Got It Memorized.' "So it wasn't a dream…"Axel wondered aloud, his smile widening to a grin. "But a true memory." **(2)**

As the redhead trudged back to his home, he thought of two things he had to do.

One, he had to devise a way to avoid getting grounded for more than a month and his parents confiscating his toys and games.

Two, he had to find out what 'Memorized', meant.

* * *

**(1)- These numbers actually have meaning. The fifth game, Birth By Sleep, is where Axel's Somebody appears. Without his Somebody, Axel would not have existed. The twenty six is the twenty sixth track of the first CD for the aforementioned game, and is the soundtrack 'Radiant Garden'.**

**(1.5) Similar meaning, only the five is to fit with Axel's address. The twenty two is the twenty second track of the second CD for KH 2, and is the soundtrack 'The 13th Dilemma'.**

**(2) Inspired by the saying 'A scattered dream is like a far off memory. A far off memory is like a scattered dream'.**


End file.
